


movies and memories

by lovelilkitty



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: A little angst??, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Rebel without a cause - Freeform, hardly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 17:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20764082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelilkitty/pseuds/lovelilkitty
Summary: in which after years of not talking, richie and eddie find themselves the only ones in the movie theater.





	movies and memories

Nothing was quite the same after the summer of 89. Of course, they blamed it on distance- it was, after all, hard to maintain the friendship they’d once had when seven became three, and, with Mike preoccupied with homeschooling and the farm, three became two. Of course, the distance that grew between the remaining two was unexplainable, but they did not attempt to reason about it, and no one else really seemed to care enough to. There were moments of remorse of course- there had been a time when the two had been as thick as thieves, and now they could’ve easily passed as strangers, if not old aquaintances- but the remorse was far less overwhelming than the immense fear that accompanied remembering, and so the desire to reconnect was pushed down.

When Richie sees the sign at the Aladdin, he doesn’t quite know what sparks the excitement in his chest. He’s not particularly _against_ it; it’s _Rebel Without a Cause_\- a good movie, and, although he would never admit it to himself, James Dean is far from unattractive. He just hasn’t seen it in years, not since maybe middle school, and doesn’t understand the sudden pull it has over him. Still, the pull is strong enough that no matter how odd he may find it, he still clears his schedule for that night, hurriedly biking home to grab cash for tickets and popcorn, an irrational sensation taking over him, almost like butterflies. Which is odd, because he’s not nervous; it’s a movie, there’s hardly anything to be nervous about. Yet as he walks into the theatre, an intensely strong sense of deja vu seems to take over him, and suddenly it feels like the furthest thing from just-a-movie, although he still can’t pinpoint why.

When he steps into the theatre, there is a joyful split second where he thinks he’s alone. And then he sees him. Curled up in a seat in what is most definitely the best view of the screen. Maybe that’d why he does it, maybe it’s the reminiscent daze he can’t seem to shake, he’s not quite sure. Whatever the reason, _something_ drives him to sit in the seat right next to Eddie Kaspbrak, his former best friend. 

As soon as he does it, he feels almost like he’s a child once more, curled up in the Aladdin with Eddie Kaspbrak at his side. The only difference is today, he cannot turn to Eddie to share a joke. Today, he cannot loop his pinkie over Eddie’s, doing his best to hide his anxious breathing, convincing himself that it is nothing more than just an overly friendly gesture. 

Now, they sit in silent, both rigid, eyes glued to the screen as the commercials flit across it. 

It’s not until the movie begins that Richie remembers. Not everything- there are still blank spots that fill him with chills although he cannot so much as begin to recall the root of his fear. But he remembers the two of them- movie nights on Friday, curled up in Richie’s bed, a cigarette hanging loosely between Richie’s lips. And suddenly, he understands. He understands the pull, the unexplainable force that had practically dragged him into the theatre, dragged him to sit next to Eddie. This was _their_ movie- they’d watched it countless times, so many that Richie supposes they could’ve recited it word for word, if they’d been asked to. He glances over at Eddie, and finds the smaller boy gazing back at him, a similar shocked expression dancing across his features. 

Richie smiles, tentatively, and Eddie returns it, and that is enough. 

Except of course, until it isn’t. Until the ache in Richie’s chest becomes too unbearable, because now that he’s remembered Eddie, he can’t seem to forget him. And _fuck_, he misses him, misses their ceaseless banter, their secret smiles, _everything_. And so, without thinking, Richie moves his finger, slowly, ever so slightly, until it is looped over Eddie’s. He can hear the younger boys breath catch, but does not look over, cannot bring himself too.

And so, they sit like that, pinkies curled against each other, eyes faithfully glued to the movie. It’s not until the drag race that one of them moves, Eddie’s breath catching once more, as, suddenly, he buries his head in Richie’s shoulder, sending shivers down the taller boy's spine.

He smiles, ever so slightly, letting his hand come up to stroke the top of the head, eyes still not leaving the screen. When the scene ends, he glances down at Eddie, moving to murmur in his ear that he can look now. Eddie hums in response, turning to face the screen, but not moving away from Richie.

“I missed you,” he murmurs, and Richie realizes, for the second time in his life, that he has got it _bad_ for Eddie Kaspbrak.

“You too, Eds,” he whispers, smiling. “Hard to explain me going over to yours if we weren’t friends, you know. Don’t think the folks would be too keen on me and Mrs. K.”

“Shut _up_, Richie,” Eddie says, but he’s laughing, and Richie counts that as a win. 

“I missed your laugh,” he blurts out, suddenly grateful for the dark lighting, which does quite a nice job at hiding his flushed cheeks.

“Yeah?” Eddie looks up, and _oh_, his face is rather close to Richie’s, and Richie wonders if he realizes it.

“Yeah,” Richie breathes, glancing down at Eddie’s lips before he can stop himself.

In the end, it’s Eddie who bridges the gap, fisting his hands in Richie’s shirt and crashing their lips together. It is everything all at once, innocent and passionate and desperate and sad and absolutely perfect.

Eddie’s cheeks are wet, Richie notices, as he reaches up to cup Eddie’s face, pulling him closer and closer. He thinks maybe his are too and he says nothing. When they break the kiss, they sit there, foreheads touching, hands clasped, years of lost time finally being made up for. 

If they miss the end of the movie, neither of them are complaining, too wrapped up in each other and in the awe of remembering, whispering memories back and forth.

Finally, curled up in a seat at the Aladdin, Richie Tozier thinks that maybe, just maybe, he has found his home.


End file.
